John Hopkins

John Hopkins is to take a year out from racing to allow himself to recover fully from the multiple serious injuries that have plagued him throughout the 2012 season. In particular, a nagging hip injury first incurred at Monza has forced the American to take a break from racing, to allow his injuries to heal completely before attempting to race again.

John Hopkins is to return to racing at the Miller Motorsports Park round of World Superbikes on May 28th. After crashing heavily in the disastrous conditions at Monza two weeks' ago, where he broke a bone in his foot and damaged his hip, Hopkins has been pronounced fit enough to attempt to race at Miller, the home round for the Californian.

Jack Valentine, team manager at Crescent FIXI Suzuki, has announced that a last-minute replacement for John Hopkins has been found. After struggling to find anyone from the BSB series that was able to fill the seat, Peter Hickman, MSS Bathams Kawasaki rider in the British series, was revealed as Hopkins's replacement the night before the riders first took to the track for the weekend.

Crescent Fixi Suzuki have announced that John Hopkins is to miss the Donington round of World Superbikes, after breaking his foot in a crash at Monza. A replacement rider is due to be announced shortly. Below is the press release from the Crescent Fixi Suzuki team:

HOPKINS TO MISS DONINGTON WSB

Team Suzuki Press Office - May 9.

Crescent FIXI Suzuki's John Hopkins will be forced to miss this weekend's World Superbike race at Donington in England due to the injuries he sustained in a high-speed crash last time out at Monza.

John Hopkins has been declared fit for the Imola round of World Superbikes. The American will make his race debut on the Crescent Fixi Suzuki in the series, after breaking a hand in the final preseason test at Phillip Island, the week before the opening round. After breaking his hand, Hopkins returned to the US for surgery, and after a period of intense rehab on his hand, he was finally declared fit last Wednesday, and will take part in the race at Imola this weekend.

John Hopkins has been officially ruled out of the first race of the 2012 World Superbike season at Phillip Island. The American broke a bone in his right hand after crashing on the first day of the private WSBK test at Phillip Island last week. Hopkins highsided his Suzuki GSX-R 1000 at Turn 2, landing badly and fracturing his hand.

John Hopkins' run of bad luck with hand injuries continues. The American has suffered yet another broken bone in his right hand, after crashing during a private World Superbike test at Phillip Island, ahead of the first round of the series in just under two weeks' time. Hopkins highsided at Turn 2, landing on his right hand, and fracturing a bone at the base of the hand.